Nuclear being considered to address rising grid demand in Washington

As legislative sessions begin in states around the nation, Washington is considering a compelling bill that was pre-filed and already heard in committee. HB 2090, prime sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Barnard and its companion bill SB 5821 introduced by Sen. John Braun, seek to integrate advanced nuclear power into Washington state’s energy strategy.

Rep. Barnard said:

 “I've spent a lot of time studying advanced nuclear technology because I believe it can play a critical role in our clean energy future. As electricity demand continues to rise, we cannot afford to ignore reliable, carbon-free power sources that operate around the clock. My bill is about making sure Washington's energy strategy reflects real-world needs, not wishful thinking. This bill reflects one of my top priorities: making sure our clean energy transition doesn't come at the expense of reliability or affordability. My bill doesn't mandate nuclear power or authorize construction. It ensures the state is doing its homework and honestly evaluating whether advanced nuclear can help deliver clean energy when people actually need it."

The exact mechanics would require the Department of Commerce to supplement the state’s existing energy strategy. This strategy, which was last published in 2021, is required to be reviewed by Commerce at least once every eight years. Commerce must establish an energy strategy advisory committee of specified membership to provide guidance in reviewing the state energy strategy.

The first criteria considered while implementing nuclear is to assess the maintenance of competitive energy prices that are fair and reasonable for consumers and businesses. A main driver of choosing energy sources should be dependability and affordability, considering the cost-effectiveness for all parties involved. Though there can be expensive upfront costs to build a traditional plant, a recent innovation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is much more affordable for producers.

Nuclear power has made so many leaps and bounds in the last 20 years of development that it’s almost unrecognizable. These SMRs can be up to one-third the size of a traditional reactor and provide a faster and cheaper deployment. Notably, it is more dependable than intermittent renewables.

Another factor is increasing competitiveness by fostering a clean energy economy and jobs through business and workforce development. A traditional nuclear facility brings a significant amount of well-paying, long-term jobs for citizens. Each plant employs about 500 to 800 workers, with SMR operations closer to around 150 employees. Due to the long-life cycle of nuclear, they can operate out to 80 years, providing generations with employment opportunities.  The salaries for these workers are also on average 50 percent higher than those of other electricity generation sources.

The last point of the strategy is to meet the state's obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, former Governor Jay Inslee signed the Clean Energy Transformation Act, which committed Washington State to be free of emitting greenhouse gases by 2045. The process for energy creation through nuclear fission has zero greenhouse gas emissions. Other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, may not have a carbon footprint, but they provide intermittent, low levels of power. Nuclear energy continually provides baseline power without emitting greenhouse gases.

Energy and Environmental Economics, also known as E3, conducted a recent study in the Pacific Northwest that found its power supply deficit is going to increase by about 1,300 megawatts next year, and 8,700 megawatts by 2030. One of the commissioners of the study, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), has tried to keep up with the increasing demand. PSE spokesperson Melanie Coon noted, “Since 2019, PSE has added more than 2,600 megawatts of new solar, wind and battery storage capacity, and more is expected to be added in the years ahead to meet the state’s ambitious clean energy laws." While wind and solar do add potential energy to the grid, the intermittency that is dependent on outside factors, such as weather, makes them a liability if scaled up.

Conversely, SMRs have the range of producing 50-300 MW baseload energy, which could power approximately 30,000 homes. By 2030, the U.S. hopes to have operational SMRs around the country. Currently, there are two in the world, one in Russia and one in China. Traditional nuclear is currently in 30 countries, 28 U.S. states, and powers around 19% of America’s grid today.

HB 2090 has bipartisan support, and the idea of more nuclear implementation seems to be gaining traction in the Evergreen State. With one existing traditional plant near Richland that powers about 8% of the state’s grid, nuclear has proven to be effective. Washington needs to seriously consider additional nuclear power that can meet the rising grid demand for generations to come.